Multicolor-printing press



Aug. 26, 193@ .Y F. H. VAN LOQZEN Filed April 9, .1928 5 Sheets-Sheet www;

Aug. ze, 1930. 'F'. H. VAN- LOOZEN MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS l Filed April 9, 1928 5 sheets-sheet 2 I j NVENTO W/{Zanaaze A TTORN AAug. 26, 1930. F. H. VAN LOOZEN MULTICOLOR PRINTING PRESS Filed April 9. 1928 5 sheds-Sheet ug. 26, 1930y F. H. ,VAN OOZEN l 1,773,754

MULTIGOLOR PRINTING PRESS VFiled April. 9, 1928 5 sheets-sheet 4' INVENTORl FM Va?? aaze 7a;

Aug.. 26, w39.

MULTIGOLOR LPRINTING PRESS Filed April 9, 1928 l 5 sheets-sheet. 5

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; 111W!!! HMH INVENTOR, 7i/7d?? 002672] F. H. VAN LOQZEN 317739754 Patented ug. 26, 1930 'unirse STATES PATENT OFFIQE MULTICOLOR-IRIN'IING PRESS Application led April 9. 1928. Serial No. 268,744.

This invention relates to printing presses and more especially to presses having rotary impression cylinders or 'platens and a ro tary type or form cylinder.

The general/object ofthe invention is to accomplish multicolor printing on a sheet of any suitable material which is in continuous action and is repeatedly subjected to impressions on forms carried by a single support and while the sheet is under controlv of a single impression device, which is common to all of the forms. In other Words an object is to provide a press having a single unit carrying a multiplicity of forms and a single impression unit which is operative to 'simultaneously press a respective group of sheets to respective forms, and to provide for the automatic advance of each sheet from thev first color form to the iinalcolor form during a continuous operation of the press.

A further object is to provide a press having a gang of sheet gages and` a. row of respective printing forms and means to progressively switch. the printed sheets from the printing means back to coordinate gages for advance step by step to successive forms.`

An additional object is to provide a press operative to run through, simultaneously, a number of different jobs all unicolor, or each of a different color, or to run diiierentjobs at one time some b eing multicolor work.

A desideratum is to provide a multicolor inking means operative to ink the forms and including rollers having sections to keep the different colors in their respective zones Without intermixing.

Another object is to provide a fool-proof sheet gripping lipeans wherein'g'rippers :111e automatically brought to-their proper position when the press starts. l

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a form cylinder and means for bodilv shifting the vcylinderffrom'and to oper-V e ative position for throw-of action without stopping the press motion.

There are other objects, advantages and features of construction, combination and arrangemengaand details ofmeans Aas will be made manifest in the ensuing speciiicaf tion of the herevtlrillustrative embodiment;

it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the spirit, scope and principle of the invention as it is more directly claimed hereinafter. y

.Figure 1 is a front oroperatives side elevation of the press.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the delivery side of the press.

Figure 3 is a top plan.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the delivery end of the press.

Figure 5 is a detail ofa portion of the form cylinder showing a closed gripper.

Figure 6 is a detail showing the safety gripper trip in closing position.

Figure 7 isa detail showing the gripper trip in opening position.

igure 8 is an elevation of the gripper trip. Figure 9 is a perspective of a demounted gripper register gage and its guide tongue.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the gripper register gage assembly. f

. Figure 11'is a plan and sectional view of the gripper'register gage retractor.

Figure l2lis a sectional elevation of the retractor.

Figure 13 is a broken away plan of the roller system for automatically registering a .sheet in the-registering gage stations.

vFigure 14 is an end View of the roller system; its frame being in section.

Figure -15 is an elevation of a side shift I gage.

Inm'ts illustrated embodiment the press includes a form cylinder 2 to which may loe secured a longitudinal row of curved type forms or plates; F; the cylinder having on one end a gear 3 and is fixed on a cross, main cam shaft 4 which times most of the operaends.

A feature of this invention is the means for effecting a -uick throw-off of the printing action and or this purpose the main shaft 4 is journalled in bearing blocks 13 which are'vertically slidable in guideways in the press frame 15. The blocks 13 are mounted on cam hubs 16, of levers 17, which have low spots 16a.

stopping the press, the levers 18 (operative from either side of the press) are pulled up and the cams 416 are turned to drop the cylinder 2 enough to prevent printing impressions. .A. reverse action of .the levers 18 restores printing relation.

The impression cylinder, Which will be I hereinafter called the platen is provided with the usual tympan' and has a longitudinal rock-shaft 2O on- Whichis fixed a gang of gripping claws 21 to pinch a, s heet of stock,

-1n a previously registered` position,- to the platen surface so as to be carried around with it and get an impression from the fomn (or forms) F.

One purpose of this invention is to provide a foolproof tripping means whereby the gripper will be automatically thrownpto gripping position inthe event that theyshould beeaccidentally left in. operrposition. In other words an object is to eliminate possibility of destructon, or injury of the parts in anyposition thereof.

Therefore a'- gripper tripping means is provided which includes a double acting throw-over lever 22 fixed on the rock-shaft 20-and connected to a Ipush rod 23mounted on the platen 5 and having a thrust spring 24 o erative to sweep the lever 22 across the deadp center of the leverhaction; that is, to

.extreme open or extreme closed positions.

For the purpose of timing and initiating ac tion of the grippers the lever 22 is provided with a striker or tappet 25 having oppositev eifective positions, Figs. 6 and 7, at which to impinge on a tripping d og or pin 26 fixed in the end of an armA 27 which is fixed on a `:trame stud 28 and has a lever 29 connected by a link 30 to a cam lever 31 having a roller 32 engaging a timing cam 33.

When the grippers 21 are closed the dog' 26 is tripped to inner position, Fig.' 7, by

the cam 33 in such time that the tappet 25":

will move/against the dog which will initiate a rotation 'of the lever 22 andas this passes the axis ofythe push rod 23 the spring 24 completes the opening throw and moves the tappet just clear of the Istationary dog 26; the platen moving in the direction of the arrow thereon. Vr-ffterth'e open gripper passes, the dog 26 is shiftedstoouter position, Fig. 6, so as to` be engagedby the inverted tappet 25 whicli is tripped back to closing position, Fig. 7.

The grippers 21 are opened but once during Manual throw-off levers 18 are connected to the cam levers 17 and when it is desired to prevent impressions, without.'

` two revolutions of the impression platen; being controlled bythe main cam shaft 4, for a reason later set forth,

-Coordinate to the platen grippers 21 is a lset of registering gages 35, Fig. 10, whichY have fingers straddling respective guide 1 tongues 36 appropriately mounted on the lip sheet orgthe several forms maybe inked with 'different colors and the sheets to be printed may be progressively fed from the initial impressionv form tothe final color imprint beingsubjected to each forni only once for its -color imprint.

Therefore a' system of stock registering gages is arranged on the feed board 37 in separate stations, one for each type form, so th at sheets are registered with each form and,

in time, advanced to the gang of platen grippers 21. Each registering station includes aI fixed, adjustable guide gage strip 4() and an opposed, lateral shifting gage 41, of which a row is adjustably secured on a gage-shaft 42 journalled under the feed board 37` and having an attached spring 42 tending to pull a shaft collar 43 ei'dwise against a. cani 44, Fig. 13.

The cani 44 is ixxl on a sleeve 45 and has an arm 46 connected` v a link 47 to' a swinginghanger 48 on the frame 15 and which is connected to a driwer link 49 operated by a cam lever 50 whose roller 51 rests on a suit able cam 52 on cam shaft 4. This mechanism is operative to oscillate the cam-arm 46 andcause the cam 44 to positively push the shaft 42 endw'ise and shit' allof the lateral gages 41 and the interposed sheets over against the fixed gages 404 A One gage 35 is arranged to each feed sta- -tion and opposed to this is `a respective back gage 54 which is adjustable on a ledge 55 which is secured at its forward end to a strap 56; Each station has a strap 56 and the gang is fixed at 56 to one of a bed of parallel rollers 57 having'spindles 57ajou1nalled in a common plane in a rack-frame 58 which is secured on the reciprocating shaft 42. The

v"pression a complete job on each advanced ends of the spindles 57p1 are slidably mounted in spaced bearing frame cheeks 59.

F or the purpose of concurrently advancing A the back gages 545 a b elt60 encompasses the bed of rollers 57l and a drive pulley 61, F ig. 14,

which is secured on lthe sleeve 45, and to in! sure action of the intermediate rollers 57 lto the" Itransmission belts 62. Vconnect, them outer rollers in the rack-frame 58.'

From the above it will be seen that the ca'm 44'has the dual function of side shifting the roller frame 58 and its shaft 42 with its gages 41, and at the same time forwardly turning 1 are automatically closed on the leading edges of the sheets S (Fig. 5)

In order to clear the register gages 35 from the sheetas it is taken by the grippers 21, means are provided to lift the gang ef gages 35 from the tongues 36. To that end the gages 35 are each shown as adjustably clamped by screws 65 and 66 Fig. 10, to a sniftable block 67, al gang of which is set on a rock-shaft 68 journalled at its ends in arms 69 pivoted I at bearings 70.

The rock-shafft 68 hasside levers 71tied at the top by a tie-rod 72 and having, on' one lever 71, a cam roller 73 thrust against a cam wall 74 by a push rod 7 5 impulsed by spring 7" One of the arms 69, Fig. 2, has an adj ustable stop-screw 77 engageable with the top of the feed-board to regulate the engagement of the gages with the underhanging guide tongues 36. This arm Ais also provided with an adjustable lift-screw 7 8 which overhangs the top of a lift-rod 79 whose lower end is connecteolv to a cam lever 80 'having a roller 81 vlongitudinal of the press and are automaticalrunning on a-cam 82 whose timed action is to push up vthe arms 69 and carry the gages up free of the registered sto'ck but also to move them back of and higher than the tops, of agang of sheet return rollers 83 set on a spindle 84, journalled in the bearings 70, and hav:

Y ing a drive pinion 85 meshing with the platen gear 7. y

Thel cam wall 74 is,'therefore, so deslgned as to pull the gages 35 back and above the rollers 83 by tilting the levers v71 as the arms A 69 swing up.

i until the grippers make more than a full turn.

Following this action the platen carries the gripped row of sheets simultaneously to re'- spective forms F and then continues to turn and register with a row of stripper fingers 86, at which instant the grppers 21 are opened by positioned'tripper 26 andthe sheet is free to peel off and slip onA to a row of boosting lingers86a. The boosters are secured on a rock-shaft 89 which is oscillated by a link and its cam 90 secured on .the shaft 6. As the sheets are passed underthe guide tongues 36 a cam actuated link 37a lifts thevfeed-board 37 to elevate the tongues from the path of the wet, printed sheets and then lowers them after the sheet is clear of the platen.

The boosters 86a supportv thefleading edge of the paper sheets vandaid in carrying them f Aover onto a mechanism which has the function of switching the sheets laterally from one receiving stage, from an impression form,

'shaft 92 having end wheels 93 tracking on the rims 1-'1 of the platen. The switching mechanism also acts to elevate the switched sheets to aplane at the top of the rollers 91 .to be passed thereby under a set of floating pressure rollers 94 on a'spindle 95 playing in a yoke 96. The rollers 91-94 form a carry-over device for the-returning sheets.

The switch andelevator' means includes a horizontal frame whose rear end is piv oted on a rod 101 on rear horns of the press frame 15. The elevator frame 100 is supported on and moved upward by an elevating link 102 whose lower end is attachedio an arm 103 having a roller 104 running on a cam 105. In close sequence to the delivery of a batch of printed sheets from the rotary platen 5 the frame 100 is elevated and carries a set of switch rollers 106, on which the sheets are deposited from the platen, up to a position where the sheets will be in the top plane of the feed-back roller 91 to be passed thereby back on to the next registering station in the feed-board.

The switch rollers 106 are parallel and ly turned concurrently in' one direction by suitable means as a belt or chain 107 engaging ends of the rollers and being driven by a pinion 108 on a counter shaft 109 which is driven by a suitable means, as a sprocket chain trans'- mission 110 leading from an intermittentdrive shaftlll.

The shaft 111 is pivoted'at one end in a `swivel 112 and lhas a friction pinion 113 to periodically engage a friction disc 1,14 which isvfixed on the drive shaft 9.

The pinion 113 is splined on its shaft 111 and is shiftable by a yoke 115 to change -its speed fby varying its radial position on the disc '1/14. The yoke 1,15 is splined on a rockshaft v116 which has an arm 117 with a roller' j118.;engaging a' cam 119, on cam shaft 4.

One end of the intermediate shaft 111 is mounted in a silding block 120, in a, frame bracket, and 'a spring 121, Fig. 3, serves to press the pinion 113 out of driving contact and to press the cam roller to its cam 119.

The cam 119'is timed to close the friction drive device 113--11'4 as soon asa batch of` sheets is deposited on the rollers'106 so that these'rwill switch all sheets sidewise to the next stage for return to the. registering gage stations yif: 2, 3 and 4.

The switch stages are determined by means of vertical stops or interceptors which are carried by Shanks 126 extending back to andv adjustably secured on a rock-shaft 127 iso actuated at intervals by a push link 128 connected to a lever 129 having a roller 130 engaging the cam 131, on a cam shaft 4. When the switch rollers 106 move the sheets sidewise to given distance under the elevated interceptors125, these are lowered-to stop the sheets and at this time the switch rollers stop action.

The rear ends of the switched sheets are now engaged by a comb or rake bar 133, sliding on the frame 100, and connected by side bars 134 to a cross-bar 135 havin@ sidearms 136 fixed on a rock-shaft 137 which has an arm 138 connected to a push link 139 actuated by a cam device 140. The comb 133 pushes the sheets while the gages are elevated far enough to enter them between the return rollers 91-94 and by them over the rollers 83 which bolster the returning sheets over to the lowered feed board. When a multicolor job is being run a sheet is fed back and forth-from station #l to station #4 (or other number of times according to number of color imprints) and of ink as it is passed to CII CII

from the last imprint form it is run oifthe `roller frame 10() by a delivery rolle-r 106@ at thg; far side of the press. l f f In running multicolor work it is desirable to insure a. clean product'of clear colors and eliminate intermixture of the different colors of ink.l For this purposeink is taken from the Well 145. by a duck roller 1115a and delivered to a distributing` roller which is ofl longitudinally preclude end creep composition form rollers 147--148 engaging thehforms F.

Roller'lft' is engaged by a spreading roller having spaced section 149.

The rollers 146-149 are vibrated endwise by means of a vertical rock-shaft 150 .havi ing arms ll-152 with pins 153 engaging collars 154 on the shafts 155-456. The shaft 150 has an arm 157-connected by a link 158 4to a crank 159 on the shaft 6.

divided into a number spaced sections 146 which The lfeed board 37 can be swung up'and out of the way when making up the press.l

What is claimed is:

I. In a printing press, a multiform cylinder, an impression platen and means for repeatedly feeding, returning and refeedi-ng a single sheet to the cylinder for progressive imprint by the forms, Aand including mechanism transferring the sheets over the platen fromside to side.V

,2. In-agprinting press, a number of gage stations, a corresponding number of4 printing forms, an impression means, means at one side'of the latter to feed a sheet to the said means andthe forms progressively, and meansat the other side to return the'sheets from the forms to the gage stations in sequence:

3. In a printing press, a movable `multiform carrier, an impression means coordi- .ranged in a row, gage in progression.

nate therewith, a set of gage stations at one side ofthe said means corresponding to the forms, a printed sheet receiver lat the oppo site side thereof, and means for feeding a sheetv to the carrier for printing and delivery tothe receiver, andswitchfover and return means for returning sheets to the ref 5. In a printing press,an impression platen and a multiform cylinder, means for gaging and feeding a row of sheets to the forms on the cylinder,- means to receive the printed row of sheets and return them to the feed means for re-feed to the cylinder and ineludin carry-over rollers and means to elevateieetsthereto above-the platen, and means for discharging each finally printed sh'eet from thev receiving means.

6. .In a printing press, cluding a plurality of printing forms armeans to register a row of sheets With the forms, and means having control of a sheet and continuously `operative to passvthel sheet in one action from the initial ,gage to the initial form and then progressively to sequential gages and respective forms and including oppositely arranged feed-,meansand lreceiving means and a carry-over device therebetween.

7. In a printing press, .means carrying multiple forms and an impression device cooperative therewith, gage stations to register sheets with respective forms, means at one side of said device to feed a row of .sheets tothe fo-rms, and a receiver at the opposite side of the device having means-to switch the printed'sheet's sid'ewise and return them above the said device to respective sequentian gage stations to pass to the nextform Ina printing press, a set of guide tongues, a gang 'of return rollers superjacent thereto, a set of end gages engaging the tongues, means to raise the gages to a position above said rollers for return of sheets,'and

^ means -to guide the gages clear of the rollers operating means inmeans to guide the gagesclear of the rollers in raising and l.lowering actions, said gages being mounted on a rock shaft, and movable side arms in which said shaft is operatively mounted.

f 11. In a printing press, a set of guide tongues, a gang of return rollers superjacent thereto, a set .of end gages engaging the tongues, means'to raise the gages to a position above said rollers for 'return of sheets, and

means to guide the gages clear of the rollers in raising and lowering actions, said gages being mounted on a rock shaft having end levers one of which has a cam roller, and said guide means including a cam controlling the levers.

12. In a printing press, feed'means and a movable impression member and means Aon the side opposite the feed means lfor receiving sheets from the member and including a bed of rollers onto which sheets oat directly from the. member, means to intermittently turn them uniformly, and an intercepting means to stop switching action of' sheets supported and shifted by the rollers.

13. In a printing press, an impression member,a sheet feed means at one side thereof, and means for taking printed sheets from said member'and means for re-passing them across and clear of themember tothe feed means.

14. In a printing press, an impression member, a sheet feed means at one side thereof, means for taking printed sheets from said member and means for rel-passing them across and clear of the member to the feed means, and feed gage over which the sheets are vcleared by the repass means in repass to the feed means.

15. In a printing sheets from said member, and including a bed of rollers, means to intermittently turn the rollers uniformly to switch the sheets, means to intercept the switched sheets, and

impression lmember, means for receiving sheets directly from said member and including a bed of rollers and means to intermittently turn them, means to intercept-switched sheets on the rollers and including a series of vertical members movable to and from the plane of thefshifting sheets.

18. In a printing press, feed means and an impression member, a bed of rollers receiving sheets directly from said member, means to intermittently turn the rollers, means to intercept sheets switched by the rollers, and shifting combsy engageable with edges ,of switched sheets to move them toward lthe feed means.

19. In a printing press, feed means and an impression member, abed of rollers receiving sheets directly from lsaid member, means to intermittently turn the rollers, means to intercept sheets switched by the rollers, shifting combs engageable with edges of switched sheets to move them toward the' feed means, and feedback'means for taking the sheets from the rollers and passing them to the feed means for refeeding to the impression member and including upper and lower gangs of rollers between and by which the sheets are drawn. y 1

press, feed means and an impression member, and means at the side opposite from the feed means for receiving means for shifting the stopped sheets endwise of the rollers toward the feed means.

16. In a printing press, feed means and an impression member, means atthe side oppos-f ite from the feed means for receiving'sheets from said member, and including a vbed of rollers, means to intermittently turn the roll# ers uniformly to switch the sheetsmeans to intercept the switched sheets, means for shift; ing the stopped sheets'endwise ofthe rollers toward the feed means, and feed-back means taking the sheets from the rollers and passing them to the feed means for re-feeding to theV impression member.

17. In aprinting press, feed means and an 

